Tag Archives: Shas

Now into the 2 week extension for coalition building after having burned up the normal month long allocation with no result, the lady elected by less than 1% of the nation’s vote is getting desperate.

Musical Chairs..

First she claimed she was unprepared to serve under Olmert who no longer had a mandate, yet she never resigned. Then she let it be known if she was not chosen the new Kadima head, she was leaving the party. Then she claimed she wanted to lead a center based government under her leadership based on Olmert’s coalition, despite being unelected. Later she claimed she was prepared to call elections, yet weeks later applied for coalition extensions instead.

Getting dizzy yet?

Then she swung radically left and invited Meretz to join. Afterwards she claimed what she really wanted was a national emergency government with the Likud because that was the ‘responsible’ thing to do. Later she stated it was not Meretz but UTJ & Shas who were her obvious natural partners, before of course telling Labor leader Barak he was the ‘supreme’ deputy Prime Minister under her little junta.

Now, after offering up billions of shekels to buy the leadership seat of Israel only to be as of yet spurned, she’s prepared to form an absurd narrow government of 60 MKs based on the radical left Meretz platform and requiring Arab party MKs to keep her afloat.. There’s only one thing missing from this little dictatorship she is looking to form, a mandate and some actual votes.

Power Trip

Not only has Mrs. Clean now waffled on every statement she has ever made, now she’s selling out the entire Kadima center party concept to feed her unabashed unelected ambitions wholesale, putting the power center in the hands of the radical left and traditional anti Zionist Israel haters. Shas, Kadima members themselves, the Pensioners, pretty much everyone save Livni thinks this is somewhat insane. Not only that but it breaks the only deal she managed to sign with Labor, where she pledged to build a solid 2 year proof government or go to elections.

As six Kadima MKs, headed by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, said they would not support a narrow government if one were brought to the Knesset for approval next week, Kadima leader and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni threatened Wednesday to hold general elections. [...]

Livni told Mofaz that she preferred a wide government, but that if there were parties – such as Shas and UTJ – that chose not to join a government under her leadership, she would consider forming a narrow one. Livni told Mofaz that all options were still valid, including going to general elections.

Mofaz told Livni that he would like to help form a wide government. Mofaz has gathered five other Kadima MKs who support his position that a narrow government with Labor and Meretz would be too left-wing and would therefore be subject to political extortion and concessions in negotiations with the Palestinians, and later on with the Syrians [...]

A 60 seat skin of your teeth anti Zionist coalition is not what you’d call a solid governing body able to last 2 weeks let alone 2 years in Israel’s political system. Nor would it have anything even resembling a shred of mandate with HUGE issues looming large for Israel including existential threats, unrevealed peace plans, etc. Less than a week later she has already balked on her commitments to Barak, if this is the clean Leader Livni it bodes for disaster.

It seems there is no red line Livni isn’t willing to cross in her quest. Isn’t it time we got real elected leadership, a real mandate by vote not some shady word breaking back room deals? The notion that this woman who received less than 45% of her own party’s vote, less than 25,000 votes in ALL of Israel can possibly be mandated to do anything save tie her own shoes is a real mockery. Stop threatening us endlessly that you will call elections Livni, and call the elections. Please sh*t or get off the pot, we need leadership in this country and we need it now.

At least one thing has become crystal clear and undeniable to all, Livni is a leftist. Light years away from the tough right wing ‘Ariel Sharon heir’ she claimed to be. It seems Mrs. Clean hasn’t been all that honest with us, feel free to choose when and where for yourself as it is a multiple choice question with numerous right answers.

UPDATE: Power Queen plays ‘Who wants to be a billionaire?’

‘Mrs. Clean’ offers Shas 1 Billion Shekels to secure her govt.. First it was 400 million, then 800 million, now a full Billion in 24 hours and the day is not over yet.. Add this to the 1.5 billion promised to Labor, and hundreds million more for Meretz, Pensioners and anyone else who can dig into the Livni leadership trough.. Global Recession? Fiscal conservative, no amount of taxpayer dollars is too much it seems to burn, for what? Did I get a vote to spend billions on this sham, no.. Did you?

UPDATE II: Now it’s back to elections if no coalition deal is done by Sunday
So this would be the hardball I take it? Frankly I injured my neck in whiplash trying to keep track of these machinations all over the map. The Pensioners have pulled out of talks entirely apparently today, because they now also want a few hundred million to a billion sheks and Livni has stated she doesn’t want to act ‘irresponsibly’..

“The moment of reckoning has arrived,” Livni said at a Kadima faction meeting, Wednesday. “Decisions need to be made by Sunday and then we will know whether there will be a coalition or elections. Negotiations have not been exhausted to their fullest, but time is not on our side,” she added.

The Kadima leader insisted that she would not agree to break the budget and that she would not restore child welfare payments to their former levels. In the closed session, the Kadima leader said she preferred a government that was as broad as possible, but admitted that it was not yet clear if she would even get a 61-MK majority, Israel Radio reported. [...]

According to her enamored media, Kadima & Livni herself, she should be all set for a 20% electoral landslide crushing the Likud, so why the reticence to go to the electorate? Might it have something to do with the fact that in reality she is going to get shellacked?

Personally, I maintained she would have difficulty beating Mofaz, that’s how it rolled. I also made my call she would not be able to build a coalition which was pretty ballsy seeing as one already existed - I’m sticking to my guns.. We’ll see what goes on from now till Sunday. If she opts for this 61 Meretz Arab MK coalition I will openly revolt like the Hashmoneans against the Seleucids.

Livni’s associates are blaming holidays for delays, but wherever the blame lies the 1 month coalition constructing period allocated by law expires today. Having been elected by 400 some votes in the Kadima primary, Livni was supposed to have put together her ruling coalition by this date and applied formally to institute her government.

Alas, so far only Labor has agreed in talks formally to participate, and there are problems internally within Labor over the agreement. I blasted Barak last week over what I perceive as profound weakness and prominent members of the party agree, which will pose a small challenge in ratification. Kadima & Shas meanwhile are in talks to come to terms over billions more shekels, upon which the coalition talks still hinge.

Livni is a big spender

The agreements so far hammered out by Kadima with Labor are estimated to cost the state in excess of 1.5 billion new shekels worth of unallocated spending with a cool billion or two more still coming via Shas. It has been an expensive few weeks, now Livni will apply for her last 2 weeks allowed by extension in order to try and spend more to secure her un-elected government.

Some hints as to the direction of Livni’s possible government are already manifesting, while the Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian & Iranian tracks are bouncing all over the map with varying parties trying to secure their interests in the chaos. On the question of Lebanon & Hezbullah tying in Syria the word from Livni so far is:

Capitulation on the UN resolutions she herself negotiated.

Capitulation on borders already affirmed by the UN as legitimate

Capitulation by Israel regarding security overflights..

All in return for what Livni’s associates are calling a ‘non-aggression pact‘, which will prove to be worthless clearly as it will not be recognized by Hezbullah who now control south Lebanon & beyond.

In other words, Livni’s government will be vying with Olmert’s previous government for the honors of ‘worst leadership period in the history of the State of Israel’ and she hasn’t even cemented her coalition yet.

The most disappointing party in Israel today by far is Shas. Despite having its former leader Ariyeh Deri thrown out on bribery & corruption charges, nothing has changed at Shas. They are still open to bribery, in fact despite being a religious party.. Standard support for religious issues, such as uniting Jerusalem eternally, protecting Israeli settlements etc have all taken a back seat to political & cash payouts.

Kingmaker

For nearly three years now Shas has kept the corrupt Kadima Olmert administration in power as kingmaker of the coalition in return for flat out political appointments & payments. It is blatant to the point of being shocking. Now Shas is again joining the coalition this time under Livni, that much is clear.. DESPITE the fact that Livni is the sole negotiator with the Palestinians, and the openly acknowledged fact she is negotiating away Jerusalem! Mind boggling how Shas pretends to defend Jerusalem while at the same time openly making deals and actually selling out the city.. It’s heartbreaking really.

More Power..

Now Ynet reports Shas seeks to unite religious parties in Israel as a coalition block, to secure more power and apparently sell Jerusalem out collectively!

Haredi cooperation? Shas Chairman Eli Yishai met Wednesday with Knesset Member Yakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) in a bid to form a united ultra-Orthodox bloc in the negotiations with newly elected Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni.

The two discussed the possibility of joining a new Livni-led government together. A source close to Minister Yishai said following the meeting that “he has been working to form a bloc with UTJ in terms of the child allowances, which are the key issue for both parties. [...]

The two parties did not name a recommended candidate for forming the next government in their meetings with President Shimon Peres earlier this week. Together, Shas and UTJ have 18 MKs, nearly equaling the Labor Party which has 19 members in the Knesset.

Earlier Wednesday, Yishai appointed Attorney David Glass and Prof. Yohanan Shatsman as his representatives in the coalition talks with Kadima. He instructed them that the Jerusalem issue should not be discussed and that there should be no compromise on the child allowance issue. [...]

Everyone acknowledges that the non discussion of Jerusalem is an open farce. How can religious parties sell out the holy city for money & power!? The contrast with diaspora haredi communities is striking, the strongest proponents for a united Jerusalem and maintaining a greater Israel are religious Jews abroad. This wheeling and dealing for money is a national Jewish tragedy. If the haredi community won’t join in support to defend Jerusalem and the communities all around it teeming with religious families who will?

Most shocking of all, with a sizable 12 seats, and now a potential block of 18 the silence from these parties respective voters on this farce is deafening, the lack of leadership by Rabbinical authorities astounding. Eli Yishai is eating ‘Pork’ in the temple, if this isn’t hillul Hashem.. I don’t know what is. Now he’s planning on feasting with all his friends!?

“Their (Shas and Kadima) only common denominator is fear of general elections, and they are clinging to their posts,” he told Ynet on Thursday, adding that Shas was headed toward ‘political suicide’.

Lieberman estimated that should Shas join the coalition, it would lose many mandates in the next elections to the Likud party. He said that Shas activists have expressed their disappointment with the party’s direction. “From what I am feeling on the ground, Shas has already lost two-three mandates to Likud for sitting in (Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert’s government. If they’ll join Livni, and Meretz-Yahad joins as well, I believe they’ll lose another three mandates.

“I’m willing to bet that in the next elections Shas receives only seven or eight mandates,” Lieberman said [...]

I don’t have a problem with anyone’s respective choice on whom they chose to vote for, I’m a sucker for Democracy - But in this case I hope he is right and Shas pays the piper at the voting booth for this dereliction of religious duty. A united Jerusalem crosses religious / secular lines in Israel with between 70-80% support depending on the poll. Sephardi religious Israelis have little problem moving it seems between Likud, Kadima or Shas – They are quite fluid between those parties. Now that Shas is again choosing party over country, I hope its voters begin choosing country over party.

Livni’s 1st political move was a classic mistake. Instead of immediately leaning right to secure goodwill within Kadima and without, where she lacks it most and where the country is also leaning most, she went left to the Meretz no man’s land of political oblivion.

Of course the reasoning is simple enough, they are going gaga for Livni on the far left. The glowing media and support is akin to a warm embrace, comfort food for a very weak slim win. Further, the ideological platform she is pushing in negotiations falls squarely in the Meretz camp. Thing is she accomplishes more than just alienating the right in a move like that, she also alienates the left, or in this case Labor party’s leader.

Struck by lightning (Barak)

Barak himself as Prime Minister already flirted with the Meretz platform 10 years ago, it cost him his job. Why on earth Livni thought he may enjoy flirting with that platform openly again, especially in light of his already low opinion of her - all in order to secure her the PM job is beyond me?

Being 1st out of the gate to reinforce the common view that she has sacrificed every principle of her Likud roots, and now even Kadima’s own charter is not a genius play. The notion that this is Sharon’s heir politically we are seeing is as I stated divine comedy. The empress has no clothes so far. Judging by the media roundup below, no one is as of yet tossing her any either. If anything, there’s a concerted effort to challenge the legality of her win within Kadima forming now, and a possible flirt between Labor & Likud on a power sharing agreement. Anyone get the feeling Livni wants to share power and rotate the big PM chair? Me neither.

Livni is not the only one who can form a govt

She is dominating the media, but President Peres can be approached by other factions to form a govt. Peres & Olmert are now racing to get things squared away, Peres may even delay his trip to the USA for the UN general assembly to keep the paltry Livni momentum going. The last thing he wants is to come back in a week or so and be presented with a government option that does not even involve Livni, a national emergency government of the left & the right which leaves out the so called center party and Livni entirely..

Either of those last three added is enough to secure a slim majority without Kadima, Meretz or elections, and the pensioners and UTJ are easy enough addons. With all the freed up Kadima portfolios it is darn right near a jamboree where everyone gets to keep their corrupt cozy seats, and even get a few juicy new ministries. It is a Kadima nightmare scenario..

The last link shows Livni is already backtracking to ‘National Unity Government’ talk, meaning that her plans to maintain the current coalition seem stalled entirely, she assumed she could just patch together Olmert’s coalition and tack on Meretz for more seats, but you know what they say about the old adage assume? When you ASSUME you are ‘Making an ASS out of U and ME’.

She better not assume she is guaranteed to be the party leader being offered the shot at forming a govt either, as by displaying further hubris she may be in for a surprise. She also assumed she would landslide the primary, and she assumes she will landslide a general election too..

How many times in one week can you ‘make an ass of yourself’ is the real question?